


No, Not Without You

by victoryroyale



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aliens, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Trailer, Avengers: Infinity War Prelude Comic (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Bucky Barnes is Healed, Character Death, Established Relationship, Infinity Stones, M/M, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Post-Black Panther (2018), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Sad, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Steve Gets a New Shield, Thankful Steve, Violence, Wakanda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 09:59:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14446839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoryroyale/pseuds/victoryroyale
Summary: If Steve knew that in 1935 that the end of the line would be in eighty years and the cause of an enormous purple titan from outer space, he would've thought he was having another medical hallucination and he would never have believed that it would come true.Thanos kills Bucky during the Battle of Wakanda and Steve decides that no, he doesn't want to do this all day.





	No, Not Without You

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before Avengers: Infinity War and based solely on the trailers and multiple TV spots. The events might not be correct or match at all. All mistakes are my own.

Initially, when the small cellphone that Steve kept tucked away in his utility belt on missions just in case rung with a light jazz tune, he felt his heart drop down into his stomach. He was absolutely astonished that Tony had reached out, even after the whole three years that he dealt with the absence of his quick-witted friend. But Steve understood why Tony never reached out to him, he really did. He tried not to dwell on it though because what happened, happened and it was in the past. Neither him, Tony, or even Bucky could change it. 

Steve fished the phone out of his pocket and answered it on the third ring. 

"Cap?" Came from the other end, rushed and heavy, as if he was short on time.

"Tony," Steve stated after a silent debate in his head about what was appropriate to call him. He was quick to rule out Mr. Stark, it was too formal. And he didn't really have any other options. 

There was a hitch of breath. "I need you. We need you." 

He leaned back, resting against a metal storage container in some abandoned warehouse in an Asian country he couldn't remember the name of. Him, Natasha, and Sam had just busted some deal that they'd been tracking for weeks with powerful high-tech weapons that had started within terrorist forces. That's what the three of them had been doing the past few years after Steve had broken everyone out of that prison in the middle of the ocean. Scott had gone home to see his daughter and Clint had also gone back to his family, something that Steve had no right to argue with. Sam quickly joined Steve's side because that's just the kind of guy he was. Natasha had some apprehension at first but decided in the end that it was the best choice of the next to none that she had. And Wanda, she followed along as well, but then chose to hideout somewhere inconspicuous along with a friend after a short time. 

And as for Bucky, he was healing in Wakanda under the watchful eye of T'Challa and his younger sister Shuri. It was painful to leave Bucky at first, considering that Steve spent weeks just sitting next to the cryo-freeze chamber as they tried to figure out a cure, not wanting to leave his lover's side in case something was to happen. It's not like he didn't trust Shuri and what technology she was using, he just didn't want anything bad to happen. But, he did end up leaving because he knew that evil wouldn't stop overnight just because the Avengers were disbanded. Also, Shuri promised that she would contact Steve when they found a cure. And she did. 

"What's going on?" Steve asked, and boy, he wasn't ready for what Tony had told him next. 

"There's a guy. A uh- a being. A titan. Called Thanos. He wants to collect all of the Infinity Stones, you know, the stone from Loki's scepter that's in Vision's forehead and the one inside the Tesseract. There's four more out there, similar to the both of them, and even more powerful when they're all together. He's going to use them however he wants, to wipe out whoever he wants. He sent Loki, all those years ago. With the Chitauri. The attack on New York. That was all him. This is it."

"How many of those stones do we have safe? Are you aware of how many Thanos already has?" Steve questioned after taking a deep breath. Here they go.

"We have two - the Mind stone and the Time stone. We're certain that he has two as well, the Power and Space stones. Bruce said that already makes him the-"

Steve furrowed his eyebrows and tightened his grip on the phone. "Wait, Bruce? Tony, where'd you find him? Who are you with?"

There was a shuffle. "I'm with Bruce, he crashed down in this building up from who knows where. Made a big ol' mess. He's been with Thor for some time. Anyways, I'm also with some sorcerer called Doctor Strange, yes, that's his real and legal name, and his buddy Wong." Steve couldn't help but smile. Tony felt more at ease now than when he had first picked up the phone. He sounded like Tony, the Tony that he liked to remember, not the Tony that he had the last memories of. "Thanos already has two stones and that makes him the most powerful creature in the entire universe. If he gets his hands on all of them, he can destroy all life. But we can't let that happen. We have what he wants, we have the advantage. He's coming to us."

Steve nodded slowly even though Tony couldn't see him. His life had been non-stop crazy ever since he was put through Project Rebirth and he knew it wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

"What're you asking me to do, Tony?"

"Don't say that to me, Rogers. You know what you have to do."

Steve smiled slightly because even after all these years, his friend still knew him as well as he did back then. "Yeah, I know." He ran his fingers over his bearded chin. "Let me talk it over with them all." He said, referring to Sam, Natasha, and T'Challa. "To see what the next move should be."

"Not really the captain anymore, are you?" Tony laughed quietly.

"Not exactly." And Steve hung up after that. 

 

-

 

Steve relayed the information that he got from Tony back to Sam and Natasha once they were on the quinjet, ready head on back to Wakanda. They'd been gone for several days and in all honesty, Steve just wanted to go back and see Bucky again. He'd been doing so well since the last time that he saw him and Shuri had assured him that he was improving every single day. But still, being away from Bucky didn't sit well with Steve. It never had, not even back in the 40s.

Natasha shifted her gaze down to the floor after Steve had finished talking and tucked a piece of he bleached hair behind her ear, only to have it fall in front of her face again due to its length. She didn't say anything at first, but Steve knew that something was brewing behind that blank look on her face. 

"Hold on a damn second. Some hostile alien dude is coming here to get some of these fancy-ass rocks so he can blow up the universe?" Sam muttered as he took his gloves off, tossing them on an empty seat. 

"I don't think he'd blow it all up."

And Sam ignored him and kept going on. "You know, I read about the Battle of New York and you guys all lived that shit. This seems one million times worse than that."

Steve noticed something in Natasha's eyes flicker and he opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it. "We're going to need all the help we can get." 

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Damn right about that." 

Steve nodded along in agreement and moved to shuffle through a pocket on his belt, pulling out a bracelet of Kimoyo Beads that T'Challa had generously given him. He didn't know what they were or how they worked, however, his younger sister was very helpful. She informed him that they were advanced communication technology that was developed and used by the people of Wakanda, and now him as well. Normally the technology wouldn't work outside of Wakanda, but she had manufactured them specifically for him. 

There were a series of several beads, including one that was a tracking system, just so T'Challa could make sure they were safe. He tapped on the communication bead that was a direct line to the king and waited for him to pick up. 

"Captain Rogers." T'Challa greeted once they were connected. "How did your mission play out? I am assuming successful, yes?" T'Challa wasn't necessarily the person who gave them missions and their orders, he was simply lending a helping hand to them. 

Steve sat down in the pilot's seat and flipped the autopilot on after checking to make sure the coordinates were correct. "Went alright, no injuries on this end. But I'm calling you to let you know that we're facing an extraterrestrial attack." He explained. "There's a titan is what he's called, Thanos. He's coming to collect all of the Infinity Stones and use them as he pleases. And from what I can tell, it won't be for good."

"Not that I do not trust you, Captain. But may I ask where you have obtained this information?"

"Tony." He got up from the chair and walked over to a different seat. "He called me and filled me in on what is going to happen. He's with a few people who have a concrete idea of his plan. I know whatever happened between Tony and me, that was years ago, but I trust him about this."

He could hear the other man moving things around and Steve assumed that maybe he was trying to contact Tony and get the full story. "I can see that you are three hours out. When you get here, we will have a meeting to see how we are going to approach this."

Steve let out a hum of agreement. He had the utmost respect for T'Challa. He was such a young man who had the weight of his country on his shoulders and for what it seemed like now, the world. "Will do. See you then."

-

The quinjet was over the Indian Ocean when a beeping noise came from the beads. Natasha picked them up from their place on a storage bin and tapped on the raised circle that was lit up.

"Steve?" A voice breathed, sounding rushed.

Natasha walked over to Steve and Sam so that they were both able to hear. "Wanda? Is everything okay?" She asked. 

There was a pause and then the sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor. "Wanda." Steve pressed.

He was against her going off on her own at first. He wanted to protect all his friends as much as he could and he only believed it was possible if he was with them. After all, they were wanted criminals. But, he knew that Wanda was capable of protecting herself. And Steve was well aware of who she was spending her time with. He trusted Wanda and he trusted Vision, despite their differing views all those years ago. 

She came to him about a couple of months after she left for the first time, telling him who she was spending her time with. He was concerned, of course, but she assured him that the both of them were safe. And who was Steve to stop love? He was lucky to have found his own back in the day when he was a much different person. 

"These things, they're here. Trying to get Vision." Wanda explained quickly and Steve could tell that she was currently trying to run away and protect him.

"Where are you?" Natasha pressed, already getting up to change the coordinates on the navigation control panel. 

"Strasbourg, France. I'll send you my location. Just please- get here as fast as you can." And then the call disconnected.

"Had to be fucking aliens." Sam muttered as he strapped his seatbelt, preparing himself for the sharp turn of the quinjet and the boosters setting off. 

-

Thanks to the tracker in Wanda's own set of Kimoyo beads - Steve definitely wouldn't have let her go off alone without them, the three of them were able to track and constantly see where she went pretty easily. 

The quinjet landed in an open field roughly two miles away from where Wanda and Vision were assumed to be. Steve just hoped that they arrived on time and that hopefully the both of them were still alive. 

The coordinates that were given matched up with an old factory building, so that's where the three of them headed. And they were proven correct, because sounds of busting glass and clanging metal filled the air, added with what Steve could tell was Wanda's grunting. 

Steve silently gave Natasha and Sam their orders, directing them to what doors they needed to go into to survey the building's layout and attack when it deemed necessary. He didn't know how many things, or beings, there were and if they were outmatched or not. He really hoped that they weren't.

He snuck in through one of the doors quietly, not wanting to frighten Wanda or Vision, or initiate any fighting with the opposite forces. Not yet anyway. He observed the area around him, trying to see if there was anyone around or if there was at least something he could use as a weapon if it was necessary. He ran his fingers over a sheet of dull, corrugated metal. He could use this as a shield, maybe. It was a little tattered around the edges, but it could get the job done. 

T'Challa had offered to get Steve a new shield numerous times. But Steve being Steve, politely declined. He knew that he could fight on his own and he didn't want to have to depend on a shield for protection. He didn't need one, even if Bucky was in the room one time that T'Challa had mentioned it, and raised an eyebrow in question when Steve said no. "Sure needed one back when you'd get your ass kicked behind the theater, but no, don't take one now, not when you're going on all these secret missions. Alright, Steve. Alright." Bucky had teased Steve, which only got him a flick to his elbow. 

There was a sound of movement and Steve froze in his place, looking around. He didn't see anything suspicious, so he moved to where the room opened up into a hallway to see if maybe the noise came from there. He peeked out from behind the wall and saw nothing. Maybe it was just his imagination. 

He slunk back into the dark shadows of the room, he'd at least be hidden from view if someone were to come in from the hallway. Something felt off, but he's done this same type of thing a hundred times before.

A wave of cold air washed over him when he heard a scream break the silence. It wasn't Wanda's, Natasha's, or Sam's. He would've been able to tell. It had to be Vision's scream. 

He ran out of the room and into the hallway, trying to locate the source of the sounds. The screaming continued and he followed it. He breathed slowly and took in what he saw. There was a creature, not like anything he's ever seen before, not even the Chitauri. They were standing over Vision, using the pointed end of a staff, that reminded Steve of the scepter that Loki used, to try and pry the stone out of his forehead. There was another thing standing by, looking ready to attack if anyone tried to interfere. 

Steve stayed near the wall, trying to see if Natasha or Sam were around to notice the same thing that he was seeing. He saw Wanda somewhat near, but he could tell that she didn't know he was there. He watched her use her magic to tear the creature away from Vision and throw him aside. She then lifted Vision up with her powers and placed him behind her, ready to protect him from anything. 

At that moment, it reminded Steve of how he would fight anything and anyone out there just to protect Bucky. Love made you do crazy things.

The other alien being looked as if into a stance to attack Wanda and Vision, but it slowly revolved it's body as if it sensed another presence. Steve flicked his tongue over his bottom lip as he watched. He was ready for anything. 

The thing quickly raised its own staff, but this one had glowing lights at each of the ends and threw it right at Steve. And God, the creature was absolutely hideous with its long, straggly blue hair and black horn-like features. He quickly dodged it with his left shoulder and caught it with a tight grip. He stepped out of the shadows and Wanda genuinely looked relieved to see him as she held back the other creature. He glanced over the shoulder of the one that was currently focused on him and saw Natasha jump down from wherever she was watching. He noticed that the alien was reaching for the other spear that was on the ground, so he threw the one he was holding to Natasha. They wouldn't see that coming. 

Natasha struck the one in the chest, a grunt coming from her mouth as she did so. But, the alien fought back and hit the glowing staff with the scepter, knocking her back. Natasha didn't stand down and continued to go at it with the creature while Steve looked around, trying to find something useful to fight with. His fists alone wouldn't help him here. At that moment, he wished he took T'Challa up on his offer. 

By the time Steve had looked back, the horned alien was thrown off to the side, going over to try and get Vision away from Wanda's protection. The other alien, this one was even creepier in his opinion, grabbed the scepter that rightfully belonged to him and went at Natasha. He always admired her fighting skills because while she looked so graceful while doing it, they were pretty damn effective. Steve watched in awe as she used to staff, jabbing it right into the alien's upper stomach, a loud grunt coming from his mouth. She then twisted around it and kicked him right in the chest, forcing him down onto the floor. 

He assumed that the other alien had heard the commotion because it came flying in and called its own glowing stick right back to its hand, similar to what Steve had seen Thor do with his hammer. 

Steve rolled in and grabbed the abandoned scepter that was on the ground and stood between Natasha and the attacker. He quickly turned it horizontal and shoved it between the three prongs of the other, preventing it from going right through his face. He clenched his teeth as he held it back and threw it up in the air. He swiftly moved to the side and used the tool to hit and push the creature close to Natasha, already knowing that she had her batons out and ready to use. She hit the staff down and dodged out of the way from a few swings. Steve then blocked a hit from it when the fight was turned on him, Natasha doing the same when it was back on her. 

Once it was back on Steve, he hit the upper portion with a bit more force, causing it to fall out of the being's grip. Sam then swooped in and pushed it down onto the floor with his feet. The alien crawled to its partner, kneeling beside them. Sam took out both of his guns and pointed them directly at the extraterrestrials, locked and loaded.

The horned creature placed their hand on the other's chest. "Get up." A low, but feminine voice muttered.

"I can't." The other groaned. Steve watched from his place at Sam's left, on guard if either of them tried to attack again.

"We don't want to kill you," Natasha said as she stood on Sam's right, looking down at the defeated pair. "But we will." He genuinely thought that she couldn't get more badass than this, even if she tried. 

They didn't move, didn't try to say anything before Sam fired four shots into one of them and Steve stabbed the other right in the chest. 

The three of them then took the alien weapons with them as they quickly went over to where Wanda and Vision were. They didn't want them falling into the wrong hands. Or worse, back into Thanos's. 

"Are you guys alright?" Steve asked as he looked over Wanda, not noticing anything too serious other than a few scrapes and bruises before looking over Vision.

"I'm alright. Vis is banged up. They got him right in the side." Wanda answered. Steve nodded and leaned down, wrapping an arm around Vision to help him stand up. 

Natasha glanced over at them before surveying the room. "We should get going. In case anymore show up." Steve couldn't argue with that. 

"The quinjet's not too far out." He stated and adjusted his grip on Vision, helping him walk out of the factory.

-

"Where to?" Sam asked from the pilot seat, having already lifted the quinjet up off the ground while Steve and Wanda were trying to make Vision as comfortable as they could and Natasha was securing away the alien weapons. "Could take 'em to Wakanda. Sure the King wouldn't mind."

Steve thought for a moment and pushed his fingers through his hair. "No, no. Vision needs medical help and I don't know if Shuri or anyone there is trained with you know, android body parts and functions." He murmured. He didn't want to seem like he was insulting anyone in Wakanda's intelligence, because the truth was, they were all much more advanced than anyone he's ever known in his long, long lifetime. Plus they had figured out a cure for Bucky and he would forever be thankful. 

But, he didn't want to have to sit around and wait for them to figure out what to do. He wasn't sure how long Vision had left and with a certain extinction level event on the horizon, he didn't want to waste time. 

"The Compound." He murmured after a few minutes. "The doctors there are specifically trained on how to work on each of us if anything happens, even Vision." He nodded and Sam put in the destination without even questioning.

"Maybe even get my wings when we're there," Sam smirked up at Steve and he only laughed, going over to sit and make himself comfortable. It had been a long, long time since he had been to the Avengers Compound, but it's what was best.

-

The radio tower on the property had granted them access to land once the employees had realized who was asking. Steve wasn't really sure he wanted to deal with Tony's over the top security robots that would've shot them down. Not today. 

The five of them got off of the quinjet and made their way inside of the large building, Wanda immediately taking Vision to the medical ward to seek treatment for his injuries. 

Steve, Natasha, and Sam all looked around for a bit, feeling oddly uncomfortable in a place that they used to consider home. Steve could tell that Tony had renovated it since he had been there last, maybe trying to push away what was and changing it into what it could be. 

Steve glanced away from the window that he was looking out of, basking in the memories of when he and Natasha were training the others out on the field when he heard Sam speaking to someone. A smile spread across his face when he saw that it was Rhodey. He hadn't seen him since back in Germany. Sam had informed Steve what had happened after him and Bucky took off on the quinjet and he definitely felt bad about it, but he knew that Rhodey was tough and he'd work through it. Plus, Tony was always creating something new. Steve knew he would invent something to help his friend. 

Rhodey gave Steve a double-take and laughed before walking over to him. "Steve, sorry man. I didn't even recognize you." He smiled, acknowledging Steve's new look. He brought him into a small greeting hug.

He laughed and patted Rhodey's shoulder before pulling back. "Works well with the whole undercover thing." He shrugged. "I see you've been improving, that's great."

Rhodey nodded. "Yeah, Tony crafted these." He motioned towards the metal-skeleton like things that framed the outsides of his legs. "How've you been though? How's Barnes?"

Steve smiled, glad that Rhodey was a big person and put whatever had happened in the past behind them. After all, they'd all been through so much over these years. "I've been alright. He's been well, thanks for asking." He softly said. 

He wouldn't lie, he missed Bucky. Even though it had only been around seven days since he had last been in Wakanda, but he missed his partner for any moment of time that they weren't together. They still had so much time to make up for. 

"Tony tell you about the whole alien thing?" Steve asked after Rhodey had talked to Natasha for a little bit. 

Rhodey sighed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I assumed that's why you all were here. But I don't know what he wants me to do from here."

Sam raised an eyebrow and him and Steve shared a glance, almost if they were having a silent discussion. "You know, we're heading back to Wakanda after Vision gets patched up. You should come with us. T'Challa's going to figure out what we all should do. It would make sense to get all the help we can get. You know, if you're up for it." He offered.

It seemed as if he debated it in his head for a few moments. "I guess, yeah. Don't think I have much to lose, but my legs. Again." He chuckled. "We should ask Bruce if he wants to come to."

"Bruce is here?" Natasha asked, glancing over at Rhodey. Natasha hadn't talked about Bruce much since Sokovia and Steve figured that if she wanted to talk about it, she would. He wasn't going to pry into her life. He respected her too much. 

"Yeah, he's down in Tony's lab. I think he's working on something. Come on." He explained before leading the three of them out of the room and down the hall. 

Steve was the first one in the brightly lit lab. Bruce was clearly very invested in what he was tinkering with because he didn't even look up. So naturally, Steve cautiously went over to him, not wanting to startle the guy. 

"Bruce. It's good to see you." He addressed. 

And Bruce jumped, actually jumped a few inches away from Steve. He looked up at him with wide eyes from behind his glasses, letting out a breath when he saw who it was. "Oh, Steve. God, I don't even know who I thought you were." He babbled.

Steve honestly didn't think he looked that different than he used to. Maybe a little bit rougher around the edges, a little bit hairier. But, Natasha, Sam, or even T'Challa never mentioned anything about it. Especially not Bucky. 

He peered over Bruce's shoulder to see what he was working on. He noticed the red and gold metal, but there was way too much of it to be one of Tony's normal suits. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "The old Hulkbuster armor?" He questioned.

With a shake of his head, Bruce leaned over and tightened two bolts on what Steve assumed was a leg piece. Or maybe an arm. He couldn't tell the difference.

And Bruce began to explain. "It's brand new, I'm just trying to make it actually withstand the strength of something as powerful as myself. After Sokovia, I was Hulked out for the entire time I was on an alien planet." He sighed. Steve decided to ask questions about that later. "If I turn into the Hulk again, I might never be able to return back to myself, my normal, less green self. So, I figured that if I upgrade this armor, I could fight inside of it and be useful without most of my clothes coming off."

The blonde nodded in response. If Bruce thought that he could do it, he had no place to disagree with him. "Well uh, we're going to Wakanda after Vision's cleared by the doctors. Rhodey said that he'd join us, and we wanted to extend the offer."

Bruce looked at Steve, confusion written clear across it. "We? Who's we, Steve?"

Gesturing his arm behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and let out a noise of bewilderment. "They were - nevermind. Sam, Natasha, Wanda, and Vision." He spoke.

"Nat's here too? God, I haven't seen her since... Is she okay? Has she seen me? I don't.." He rambled before Steve cut him off. "She's fine, Bruce. And I'm sure she doesn't blame you for what happened." 

Bruce gave Steve a small nod and looked from the open glass door back to his work that laid across the table and some of the floor. "Yeah, I'll come with you guys. Wouldn't make much sense for me to have this here."

Steve smiled and pointed out the door. "There's a jet on helipad four. Get everything you need and load your stuff up. I'll leave you to it." He mentioned before taking off to find his other friends. 

It didn't take nearly as long as Steve first thought to find Sam and Rhodey. There were going through government-marked bins where he assumed all of their unused gear was. 

Sam let out a small whistle as he cracked open a case and pulled out his long-missed wing-pack. "Damn, I missed you, little Redwing." He whispered and shuffled through the other things to get his full suit out.

"Hey, Cap." He called out, Steve assuming that he noticed him. "Your shield's in the box marked 'CA-SGRB 00598'."

Steve glanced over to where Sam had motioned towards. "I'm good." He sort of regretted saying that because Sam and Rhodey stopped what they were doing to look at Steve.

"You're good?" Rhodey questioned. "We're gonna take on an army from space and you're good?"

Sam straightened himself up and stared long and hard at Steve. He could swear that he started to sweat under it. "Steve," Sam began. "This isn't about what Tony said, right? That you don't deserve it? Because I've been right by your side these past few years, on missions, or even when Barnes was in the goddamn freezer. The only person in this whole universe who deserves that patriotic garbage can lid is you."

A small smile displayed on Steve's face as he looked back up at Sam. He was touched, and maybe it was true, but that wasn't what this was about. He felt as though the shield represented the entire Captain America image. Steve believed that he didn't meet the expectations that the title and shield came with, not anymore. And a small, tiny part of him believed that he never did in the first place.

"Like I said, I'm good." He repeated and turned around, going up the stairs to try and find whatever dark corner Natasha was hiding in.

He found her in Tony's office. 

"You know..." Steve murmured as he made his way over to her. "You're going to have to talk to him sooner or later."

Natasha cocked an eyebrow and turned her body to look at Steve. "Thanks, Dr. Love. But I choose later." He let out a chuckle. "Just because you've found your soulmate doesn't mean you get to meddle in other people's love lives."

Steve leaned back and rested against the edge of the glass desk. "You know, actually I think it does."

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the large windows. "Maybe you do have a tiny bit of superiority. I forget you have the wildest love story of all time."

He full on laughed then, shaking his head. "Bucky would actually kill the both of us if he heard you say that." He hummed with a small smile on his face. 

"Like it would be the first time he's tried." She smirked, turning back to look at Steve. 

That was true. 

The compound's AI spoke through the speakers. "Captain Rogers, Ms. Romanoff. Vision is finished in the medical ward. Dr. Cho asked me to inform you." That voice sounded familiar.

Steve glanced up at the speaker and nodded as if it were a real person. "Alright, thank you, Friday. Could you let Bruce, Sam, and Rhodey to meet us at the jet?" 

"Will do, Captain." Friday stated. 

He glanced over at Natasha and smoothed over the leather straps of his gloves, just watching her for a few moments. "You ready?"

"Let's go." She uttered.

-

On the quinjet back on route to Wakanda, there wasn't that much chatter between them all. Sam sat in the pilot's seat, overwatching the autopilot system. He never fully trusted it. Steve sat in the seat next to Sam, giving him some company. Plus the view was always nice. Natasha stood by Steve, only until he forced her to go over and talk to Bruce, who was writing ideas for the Hulkbuster suit in a notebook. Rhodey talked with Sam and Steve for a little bit, asking what they had been up to for the past few years and such. Wanda and Vision sat off to the side, just enjoying each other's presence. 

Steve got up around when they were still about thirty minutes out and walked over to Bruce and Natasha. He eyed over the notes, not even able to decipher the doctor's messy handwriting. "Soo.." He pursed his lips. "How's it all coming?"

Bruce shifted in his chair so that he was turned more towards Steve. "It's going great. I, I think that I've figured out the metal's structure to link within each other to strengthen immediately when the sensors feel my body begin to, well.." 

He nodded slowly and pushed his hair back with one of his hands. "I hope that this does what you want it to, doctor. Because I don't want the latter to happen."

"If my calculations are correct, it shouldn't even be possible." Bruce nodded and scratched out a few things on the paper. 

"I'll leave you to it then." Steve smiled and made his way back over to Sam, reaching up to rest his hand on the roof of the jet as he looked out of the windows. They were coming up to the hidden country and it was a view that he could never get tired of seeing. He remembered the first time that he had witnessed it, he was struck with such amazement. He couldn't believe a thing like that was even possible. And there were only a handful of other times that Steve had felt like that in his life. The first time was when Dr. Erskine gave him the all-clear to join the military. The second was when he found Bucky alive in Azzano strapped to that table. The third was when the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier rose up into the sky. The fourth was when they beat the Chitauri. And the fifth was when Bucky had said that he remembered Steve after all those years of torture and brainwashing. Steve always thought that one was the best of them all. 

-

The quinjet landed down on the landing field at the king's palace. Steve walked off first with Natasha next to him once the door had lowered. They were greeted by the sight of T'Challa and his all-female warriors, the Dora Milaje. There were also a few members of the Border Tribe around as well. 

"Seems like I'm always thanking you for something." Steve said as he made his way directly to the king and shook his hand, earning a small smile from him. He'd never stop thanking him either. He nodded as a greeting to Okoye, who was standing right by T'Challa's side. 

Okoye was the general of the Dora Milaje and Steve knew that she wasn't exactly thrilled with him and his friends being within their country and operating inside of it. But, she eventually came around to the idea of it. And he was certain that was Bucky's doing. Steve assumed that he showed her some of the old Captain America comics back from WWII because he overheard her saying something to T'Challa's younger sister about trying to imagine him in a pair of bright blue tights. 

Steve stepped off to the side to let the others greet T'Challa as well. He tried, he really did, not to mutter out a laugh when Bruce bowed to the king. And somehow, T'Challa looked even more embarrassed than Bruce did. 

He glanced off to the side when he saw a glint of gold in the corner of his eye. He grinned when he saw Bucky walk out of the building behind of the king and his warriors, along with Shuri. Steve immediately enveloped Bucky into a hug, not being able to wipe the smile off his face. 

"How've you been, Buck?" He said fondly once he pulled away.

Bucky looked at Steve's face and smiled. A true, genuine smile that Steve would never ever get tired of seeing. "Not bad, for the end of the world."

Steve laughed and glanced over at T'Challa. "You know, I told him not to tell you." He didn't want to ask Bucky to fight anymore, he had seventy years of being controlled. He wasn't about to be one to tell Bucky what to do. 

The smile never left Bucky's face. "After all these years, you're still too dumb to run away from a fight, Steve." He teased. 

The both of them laughed and Steve cupped Bucky's bearded jaw before bringing him in for a long-awaited kiss. 

And Sam cleared his throat only three seconds later. "Alright, is this little reunion done? Because we have more pressing matters on our hands."

"Right." T'Challa agreed. "If you may all follow me this way." He turned and walked back inside of the building, the Dora Milaje right behind him. 

Steve reached over and grabbed Bucky's metal hand, lacing their fingers together as he followed behind the group. "No braids in your hair today?" He hummed. He felt at ease now, just by being with his lover. "The kids finally over you?"

Bucky rolled his eyes at him. "I took 'em out before you got here. Obviously."

Steve smiled and gently squeezed the hand he was holding. The metal used to feel cold against his skin. It felt so unnatural and maybe it was because of the underlying guilt that Steve caused this to happen, all of it. But now, because Bucky felt like his Bucky again, it no longer felt cold. It felt like home. 

As they walked, Steve could overhear what Bruce was saying to their former team. 

"Hold on, who's that? Did I miss something? God, Sokovia was such a long time ago."

-

T'Challa took them into what was a meeting room by the looks of it. They all sat down around the table, Steve situating himself by T'Challa and right next to Bucky. 

"Thanos is after these things called Infinity Stones, correct?" T'Challa began, first looking at Steve and then around the table.

Bruce nodded and straightened up in his seat, most likely wanting to feel proper in the company of royalty. "Yes, he has two of the six of them. He wants to become the most powerful being in the entire universe, he already is." 

Steve's eyes flickered over to Vision and the android reached up, running his fingers along the gem embedded in his forehead. 

"They tried," Vision started, his eyes strained on the wood grain of the table. "I believe he sent two of his own to retrieve this for him. But luckily, Captain Rogers, Natasha, and Sam were able to prevent that from happening."

The king shifted in his seat and observed over Vision. "We should get my sister to scan it and we will get a better understanding of what it is and if we are able to remove it and keep it safe." He looked over at Shuri and nodded. She got up from her seat and walked over to a door to an adjoining room. "Come on, we haven't got all day."

T'Challa followed behind her first, with his bodyguards. Vision and Wanda followed in after, and then Bruce because he did help create Vision. Steve decided to go in as well, and then so did everyone else. 

Shuri had Vision lay down on an observation table. She scanned over his body first with one of his Kimoyo Beads and then held her palm out, a little hologram of the stone appearing. 

"The structure is polymorphic." She commented as she looked over the hologram.

"Right." Bruce agreed, looking down at Vision as well. "We had to attach each neuron non-sequential."

Shuri raised her eyebrows at him. "Why didn't you just reprogram the synapses to work collectively?" 

Vision turned his head and looked up at Bruce pointedly.

There was a short pause. "Because we didn't... Think of it?"

She hummed and rocked back on her feet. "I'm sure you did your best. But, taking into account the way that you have programmed this to work, I cannot remove it without having to reboot him completely, given the chance that it even works." 

"So, what you're saying is that he won't survive you taking it out?" Steve questioned. He rarely understood the complicated science talk.

Shuri shook her head and waved her hand to get rid of the hologram completely. "Maybe, if I had the time to study the features and the mechanics behind it." She shrugged. "But maybe not even then."

A silence fell amongst them and Steve looked over at Vision before glancing at Wanda, who seemed like she was about two seconds from bursting into tears. 

T'Challa cleared his throat and everyone turned their heads to face him. "Thanos is going to come here, for that." He gestured to the yellow stone. "We will use that to our advantage and make him fight in the Wakandan country. We will not spare the lives of any others besides the ones of our own armies. Evacuate the city, engage all defenses, and get this man a shield." He peered over at Steve. 

And Steve glanced behind him and off to either side, only seeing every other person in the room staring straight at him. He then turned back to T'Challa and raised his eyebrows, pointing a finger at himself. "Me?"

Bucky stared long and hard at him. Steve could feel it even in a room with over a thousand people. "Steve, who else uses a shield out of us?" He asked. 

Steve pursed his lips and curled his shoulders in, an attempt to make himself look smaller. "I..I don't know. I thought he might've been offering one to someone else? I've already declined the offer!"

The king shook his head at Steve. "This time, I am not taking no for an answer."

"I'm with him on this one." Sam chimed in. "No way in hell any of us in this room is gonna let you fight aliens with your bare ass hands."

Steve decided to drop it. It was clear that he wasn't going to win this argument. Plus, he wasn't all that against it. He just hated feeling like T'Challa kept giving him things. He didn't know how to repay him, but he was always grateful.

"Today we don't fight for one life," T'Challa continued, gazing out of the window that showed the vast, rolling hills of his country. "We fight for all of them. Okoye, gather W'Kabi and the warriors as well. Send the word out to M'Baku and have his tribe come and join us." He ordered and Okoye went off without a word. 

"Now, please. Allow yourselves to make my country feel as though it is your own home. Prepare what you must for the battle and I will send the word out when they are here." The king said to the remaining people in the room. "And Captain Rogers, Sargent Barnes, follow me."

-

King T'Challa and Shuri led Steve and Bucky down into her lab. Steve had been there countless times before when Bucky had been in the freezer, when he was getting out of the freezer, when he got his brand new arm, and a sprinkling of other times. He had just been so curious about the technology that was able to be made using the same metal as the shield he used to fight HYDRA with. 

The princess took Steve by the hand and drug him over to one of the many tables. But, this was the only table that had various versions of different types of shields. He looked over all of the options swiftly, the whole scene strongly reminding him of when he was getting his shield from Howard in the first place. And when Peggy fired four shots at him. 

"This one," Shuri pointed to the first shield in the lineup. It looked almost identical to the one that he had left in Siberia, but it was painted a sleek black, and the inner circle had an almost webbing-like texture. "I tried to replicate your old shield as much as possible. While making it better." Steve looked it over and then directed his attention to the next one when she presented it to him. This one was more of a traditional-shaped shield, but it seemed as if the bottom half broke off and was able to be used separately. "The removable part is able to reconnect from any distance. I programmed them with a specific code." Shuri explained.

The last shield, or shields, was the one that grabbed Steve's attention. It was a pair of two arm gauntlets, he figured out once he had put them on. They were black with silver detailing. "Vibranium, I'm sure?" Steve questioned just to be certain. And Shuri nodded. He held onto the hand grips to see how they felt. 

"And if you pull down there," Shuri instructed Steve. "It'll expand. Try it." And he did as she said, watching the sides of the shields fan out and the front portion retract and then jet out with two pointed ends. "Whoa."

"They also have the same kinetic energy that the Black Panther suit has." T'Challa mentioned, running his fingers over his chin.

Steve turned and showed off the new shields to his partner. "What do you think?" He questioned, honestly wanting his opinion. 

Bucky crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't throw them like a damn frisbee, so I like them." He hummed. And Steve really didn't know what he was expecting. 

The princess smiled at the both of them and moved from around the other side of the table. "They're all yours, Steve. Make sure you use them to kick some ass." She got a raised eyebrow from her brother.

With a laugh, he thanked her gratefully. He took the shield with him when he and Bucky left the lab, leaving them with some alone time before it was time for the inevitable battle. 

The pair made their way into the room that T'Challa very generously gave them at the palace. Bucky had spent the time that he was freshly out of the freezer and still learning things in a hut out within the villages where the Elders and young children lived. Shuri convinced Steve that it was necessary to ease him back into it slowly. She allowed him to visit him once a day though, and it was usually spent kissing and Steve basking in what Bucky told him that he remembered. But, when Bucky had significantly improved, he was given permission to move in with Steve at the palace. It was just like back when they lived together in the 1930's, although the conditions were very, very better.

Steve slipped the shields off of his arms and set them down by the front door so that they'd be a quick grab if there was an urgent call from the king. Normally when he came home from a mission, he'd take the uniform off and head for a shower, but he assumed that wasn't really an option at the moment. So, he took a seat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him for Bucky. 

"So, what'd you do today, babe?" He asked once Bucky had sat down, throwing his arm over his shoulder. 

Bucky leaned back into his embrace and fluttered his eyes shut. Steve would never get tired of that sight. 

"Well, somehow Shuri got ahold of that old footage from WWII. You know, the Captain America and the Howling Commandos stuff. The ones they played in that museum. She showed Nakia and a whole bunch of her other friends." He sighed. "They had a hard time believing that the handsome devil in the blue jacket was yours truly." He gestured a hand at himself.

Steve grinned. "Not hard for me to believe." He teased and leaned down to wetly kiss Bucky's cheek.

"Stop!" Bucky pushed at Steve's chest. "They had an even harder time believing that it was you. I swear, Nakia still thinks it's not. I tried to tell her that was my Steve Rogers, but she didn't believe me one bit. Think it's due to those shit cameras."

The blonde laughed quietly and moved his hand up Bucky's shoulder to thread his fingers through his partner's long hair. 

"1940s, Buck. I don't think they had high-definition back then."

Bucky rolled his eyes at Steve, but shuffled back into him. "Thank god they do now. Imagine having to watch Game of Thrones in the 40s."

He actually tried to imagine it, but didn't get far. He and Bucky didn't even own a television set. No one in their neighborhood did either.

"She also accused me of lying to her because I told her a while ago that you and I have been together since 1935. She found that video of us getting ready for a mission and there was a picture of Peggy in the compass." Bucky explained. "I told her that you lost yours when we had to crawl under a dozen of fallen trees and that you were using Falsworth's instead, but I didn't have any proof." He shrugged one shoulder. "She came around though when I mentioned that in your compass, you carved in 'Barnes' with your pocket knife. She said that it was, and I quote, 'a total Steve thing.' Can't say that I disagree."

Steve groaned and stared down at Bucky. "I already got enough shit from the Commandos about that, leave it back in WWII, Buck. Come on." He was full on whining now. 

Bucky laughed loudly, a full-on booming laugh that made Steve's heart skip a beat. "Alright, alright. I'll leave it in WWII." 

"Thank you." He breathed out before resting against Bucky's side. And they laid like that for awhile and Steve swore that he could hear soft snores fall from the other's lips. 

But, the little slice of peace and serenity that the two super-soldiers were cut short when one of the beads on Bucky's bracelet began to chime. That caused him to jump awake, the movement causing Steve to shift his position. 

"What is it?" He asked, his voice soft. And Bucky shrugged, tapping on the bead so they could find out together. 

"His forces are beginning to land in the open land, the forcefield is up and protecting the city, but we need to get in position in case they break through." T'Challa's voice rang out loud and clear. Steve was already up, picking his shields up from where he left them. "W'Kabi and his warriors are gathering the ships. We are all in the throne room awaiting them."

"Alright, we'll see you there." Bucky had replied before ending the connection. 

He gripped onto Steve's arm and tugged him out of the room, barely letting the blonde shut the door behind them.

-

When they got to the throne room, everyone was standing around, almost as if they were waiting for Steve and Bucky to arrive before they started anything.

"Whoa, whoa. What are those fancy ass things?" Sam called out, pointing to Steve's new shields.

Steve flushed only slightly and ran his thumb along the hand grip. "They're uh, my shields. Shuri made them for me." He explained. He should've expected Sam to say something. "Nice, huh?"

Sam raised his eyebrows at Steve. "I don't care what they look like, just as long as they work. I don't have to watch your back every second now. Always getting into something." He muttered. 

Bucky laughed at what Sam said and Steve already knew that he agreed with him. He got enough of the lectures about being reckless back when he was a teenager from his mom. He got them in his early adulthood from Bucky. He got them in the war from Peggy. And when he got out of the ice, he was free from that. Until he met Sam. 

They all migrated towards the window, a hush of silence falling over them as they took the scene in. In the far distance, there were large, pointy vessels that landed down on the ground. There were dozens and dozens of them, so it was safe to assume that what held Thanos's army. But, there was already a forcefield in place to keep them out. It reminded Steve of the forcefield around the building that they found Strucker and the scepter in, but most likely more proficient. There was quite a bit of smoke, but once it had cleared, it was easy to tell that the forest was erupted in a fire and brought the trees down in layers. It already looked devastating and the battle hadn't even begun yet. 

Okoye ran up to T'Challa only a few short moments later. "My king, the ships are ready to be boarded." She informed him.

Steve overheard her and glanced out of the window before looking at T'Challa, activating his shield. "Let's go."

-

All nine of them, plus the Dora Milaje, went down out to where the quinjet had landed earlier. The Wakandan ships were already loaded and ready to go with their own armies. There was one that was empty though, so the Dora Milaje got on along with their king. Steve got on after, followed by Bucky and Natasha. 

"Bruce, Rhodey, and Sam are going to fly out first and make sure everything is secure." Steve told TChalla as he stood next to him, eyeing Bruce as he got into the Hulkbuster armor. He silently prayed that he was able to make the upgrades he set out to.

"Have no faith in our security measures?" The king smirked and glanced over at Steve. 

That got a laugh from Steve. "Of course not. You've kept Bucky and my friends safe for years. I have no reason to doubt you." He said honestly. 

"Let's hope that we are able to keep you all safe now. I gave Wanda and Vision the recommendation to hide out in the jungle while we fight the forces off. That will buy us time and hopefully that is all we need." T'Challa activated the ships with a tap on his bracelet. "Thanos will not get the mind stone from him."

And one by one, they shot off to the open land, away from the city. Steve looked out at the vast, rolling hills, lost in his own thoughts. From what he could gather, Thanos was bad. He hoped that they would be at least a fraction of a challenge for him. He didn't want any casualties on their side, but he was afraid that wasn't in his favor. 

The ships didn't even come to a complete stop when the warriors slid out over the edge and moved to get into position. Steve was glad he didn't have to fight against them in WWII. He jumped off after he saw T'Challa do the same and stood behind members of the Border Tribe. The warriors stood at the frontlines and held their blankets across themselves, which created a smaller forcefield-like structure to protect them and the people behind them. 

"Little green men, huh?" Bucky muttered to Steve as he stood right next to him.

The corner of Steve's mouth twitched while he watched beyond the forcefield. "Not green. And definitely not little."

All of them just watched, trying to understand and make sense of the whole situation. Rhodey and Sam flew up overhead to keep an eye on the structural integrity of the forcefield.

There was a chant that was spread out amongst them, Steve was certain that T'Challa had started it. He wasn't exactly sure what it had meant, so he decided to lean over and ask his partner. 

"Yibambe," Bucky told Steve. "It's the Wakandan war chant. Means hold fast and hold your position." 

He nodded in response. He was grateful that Bucky had picked up on certain phrases and words in the local language while here in Wakanda. In some way, it made him proud. 

Steve heard Natasha's breath hitch. "They're gonna get through." She muttered.

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked out into the distance. "That's not gonna happen." He tried to assure her. 

But, he was soon proven wrong when the aliens did in fact burst through the forcefield, which could only be assumed with the amount of smoke and fire. But, Steve could see that Sam and Rhodey were already working to try and contain the situation. He clutched onto his shield and activated it, ready to charge as soon as T'Challa gave the orders. 

"This will be the noblest ending in all of history." Okoye mentioned as she stood guard, her vibranium spear up and at the ready. 

All Steve heard was Natasha say, "Let's have some fun." before all of them were running towards where the aliens were flooding into the country. There were so many, possibly a thousand creatures that they were up against. The forces soon met each other and that's when the battle began. 

Steve punched the first alien creature he saw, not stopping until he saw it fall to the ground and not make an effort to get up again. He quickly moved on to the next one, not wanting to waste any time. These things were gonna keep coming. 

In the midst of the fight, Steve looked around to see how all the others were holding up, in case they needed help. He spotted Natasha first, but she seemed to be holding her own, as she usually did. T'Challa fell into the same boat. Sam, being Sam, was shooting any and every alien he could from above. He noticed Rhodey get dragged down by a couple of those creatures, but Bucky had shot them all with clean shots, and he was up again in no time. 

He looked around for Bruce, the Hulkbuster armor should've stuck out like a sore thumb, but he couldn't spot it. What he did spot though, was about seven monsters on top of what looked like red and gold painted metal. He gripped tighter onto his shield, ready to run over and fight off each of them for his friend, but he stopped when all of the aliens were flung off like stuffed animals and a large, green Hulk rose out from the mess. 

And Steve stared on. It was like watching a car accident, so horrific, but you just can't tear your eyes away. He wished he did look away though, because one of the creatures swiped him across the face before Sam had shot it down. Steve gave Sam a salute, but he was off before he even saw it. He reached up and wiped a hand across his face, looking down at it to see the smeared blood. 

He continued on just as everyone else did, fighting each monster that came within his own distance. A large number of them fell, but they somehow kept on coming. It made Steve think that maybe there was a portal, like during the Battle of New York, but he couldn't spot one. 

What he could spot though, was a large hollow circle floating through the sky. From what Steve had learned over his many years of living, that could never be a good thing. He watched as it flew down into what he could tell was a little forest part of the country. The huge ring produced a portal like feature and out came a very large, purple man. Steve could only assume that was Thanos. And god, have they bitten off more than they could chew. 

"Guys, I think he's here," Steve spoke into his comms, jabbing another alien in the head with his shield. "Thanos. He landed in that group of trees east of us."

"That is where Wanda and Vision are. Steve, if you are able to-" He didn't hear the rest of what T'Challa had said because he already took off to where he saw the titan appear. 

-

Wanda and Vision weren't there once he had gotten there. She must've moved him when she saw the flying circle as well. Good thing someone else was suspicious of it other than Steve. He looked around though, just to be sure that Thanos didn't kill either of them. 

Steve heard someone talking, a deep, gravelly voice. He couldn't pick up on what was exactly being said, but he thought that it must be Thanos commanding someone to find the Mind stone. 

The large man quickly turned his head into the direction where Steve was standing. "And you are?" He questioned. 

Steve didn't answer because let's face it, the both of them knew what was going to happen next and he figured he could at least get a head start. So, Steve rushed on Thanos, but he was quicker and reached down with his golden gauntlet to shove Steve down. But Steve grabbed onto the titan's metal-clad fingers and grit his teeth, holding his force back. Confusion painted across his purple face and Steve used all his strength to hold him back, yelling as he did so. 

Thanos retracted his hand and knocked Steve down with a punch to his side. "I'd stay down if I were you." 

Steve got up and gripped onto the straps of his shield, activating it as he looked up at Thanos. "I can do this all day." He stated. 

What he heard next, didn't come from the purple titan, or from anything else that he expected. Bucky's yelling filled his mind as he heard it and he turned his head to the side to see his partner charging over with his gun in hand. He unloaded a round on Thanos, but they didn't seem to penetrate his skin. Steve alternatively used the distraction to jump up and scratch the man's upper arms with his shields. 

And he didn't seem to be phased by that either. "I hope they remember you." Was what came out of his mouth and Steve braced himself for the impact, but didn't receive any. 

He did, however, hear the piercing scream through his comms and it ran through his heart and into his veins. He could feel it within every cell of his body, every atom that he was composed of. And then there was silence. 

Steve knew who's scream that was, he had it implanted in his mind ever since he watched him fall from the train. He looked around to find where Bucky was and saw Thanos hovering over him. He winced, knowing what was going to come next. But, the Hulk bounded over and grabbed onto Thanos's arm, flinging him far away. He roared loudly before running over to fight the titan. 

Steve rushed over to his lover and crouched down, holding his shield above Bucky to protect him from anything and everything. 

"Buck, Buck. Are you alright? You gotta stay with me." Steve breathed as he reached over to check Bucky's pulse. He felt a presence behind him and he wasn't ready to fight, not now. But, a pair of red and white wings surrounded him and Bucky, protecting them.

"Talk to me, baby." He murmured as he looked down at Bucky, watching those gray-blue eyes slowly close and open just a crack. 

"Steve, Steve." His eyes traveled over Steve's face. 

He moved his hands and cupped Bucky's face. "Alright, come on. I'm gonna have Sam fly you out of here. Shuri will fix you up. You'll be alright."

"No, no. I can't, I'm.." 

"Bucky, what is it? What can I do?" He desperately asked. 

"Promised you that I'd be with you until the end of the line." Bucky whispered, his hands moving to find Steve. "After everything we've been through, it ends right here, doesn't it?" He looked up at his partner. 

Steve shook his head and cupped the back of Bucky's head. "No, no. It's not the end, Bucky. It's never going to be the end-" He cut himself off when Bucky's eyes had shut completely, his body went still, and his heart stopped beating in his chest. 

And Steve swore, he felt his stop as well. 

-

Steve didn't remember how the battle ended, or how Thanos was defeated. He didn't even want to ask. What he did remember though, wouldn't leave his mind even if he tried to force it out. 

He sat in one of the rooms in the palace with Natasha, Sam, Bruce, Rhodey, Vision, Wanda, T'Challa, Shuri, and Okoye. But it felt empty without Bucky there. He held his face in his hands as he cried, the tears flowing freely down into his palms. 

He lost Bucky. He lost his lover, the best thing to happen to him his whole entire life. How he felt seemed parallel to how he felt back in 1945 when Bucky had fallen from the train. The only difference now was that it felt so much worse. 

Steve felt empty, a hollow shell of who he used to be. 

They brought Bucky's body back after the battle and they prepped him immediately for burial. Steve came to the conclusion that Bucky would want to be laid to rest there in Wakanda, where he began to feel like himself again. Where he was Bucky Barnes, not the Winter Soldier. 

Where he was happy.

-

After the burial ceremony, Steve didn't know what to do. T'Challa did offer him the option to stay in Wakanda and Steve could tell that it was sincere. Not sincere in a way as if, hey, your best friend and partner was killed in action on my homeland, if you'd like to stay here and morn, you are more than welcome to, but as in I understand the heartache you're going through and if you need me or any one of us by your side, we will be here for you. Steve was thankful, so unbelievably thankful, but he ultimately denied the offer. 

He needed to go on and figure out who he was without Bucky, who he was without the floor beneath his feet. 

He hadn't felt like Captain America in a long time, but he wasn't Captain America without Bucky. And he didn't feel like Steve Rogers without Bucky either. 

Deep down, he knew that all of his friends knew that he wasn't going to be able to fight the good fight and protect the world from all forms of evil. Not when he couldn't even protect his own buddy, his own Bucky, for the second time. He didn't deserve a title, he didn't deserve any praise. Because nothing felt right without Bucky, and nothing ever would.

The one thing that Steve did know, was that his end of the line would continue on for however long he lived and beyond the years that he wouldn't.


End file.
